Hax0rz
by Vimuku
Summary: AU: Naruto is a small-time hacker who's about to be involved in a big-time hack... Will he succeed? Or will he end up in prison for his crimes? Stay tuned...
1. T3h H4XX

**Hehe, new story people… Plot bunnies just keep coming… Yeah, yeah I should really update the other stories, but the plot bunnies are not so nice… Anyway, this is a bit more light-hearted than my other stories, so I hope people enjoy!!!**

**Chapter 1**

Naruto chewed on a strip of beef jerky as he scrolled through the gaming forums. Such noobs!!! All of them were complaining about how difficult it was to level their characters or buy new materials for their level. Naruto smirked; they took all this so seriously like it was real life. They never understood that in the digital world they could do anything.

Naruto left this computer and rolled over to a different computer. This one had an online game open, a 3D MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game) that had recently been popular in Japan.

It was called Luna, and the basic plot of the game was about a moon goddess who gave birth to three heroes, each with their own ability. The goal of the game was to attain the hero status. In the beginning, a player started out as either a female or male novice and after reaching a certain level (level 10), he can choose from three Apprentice classes, Mage, Warrior, or Cleric. Mages used magic (duh), warriors used weapons (another big, fat duh), and clerics used holy magic (sorta duh). Then each of these classes, after reaching a certain level (level 30), can become one of two Intermediate classes.

Naruto glanced at each of his characters; each account could have up to three characters. He had made each of the classes; one of them (a cleric) was a female in the Intermediate level (he leveled them up mostly by hacking) that had an IGN (in-game name) of CherryBlossom. He had chosen to make it a Priest instead of a Healer because he preferred the Priest's attacking power over the Healer's healing abilities.

Priests had better attacking abilities and so were more useful when powerful holy attacks were needed. They had healing abilities, but not as great as the Healers. Healers were better party members because of their mass healing abilities as well as skills that can boost attack, defense, magic, and dexterity. They also had attacking abilities, but these skills weren't nearly as powerful as a Priest's.

His next highest character was a male, Master level (reached at level 60) Mage with an IGN of WindxDragon. The two intermediate choices for a Mage were Ice Magi or Fire Magi. Their abilities were obvious; one used fire and the other used ice. Naruto had chosen the Fire Magus and leveled it into a Wind Sorcerer (Master level). The wind attacks powered up the fire attacks, so the level boosts the strength of the character as well as the strength of the stats. Ice Magi leveled into Lightening Sorcerers, and the Lightening attacks were powered up by the Ice moves.

His strongest character had reached Hero level (level 100) and was a Warrior with an IGN of RamenFreak. A Warrior could become either a Paladin or a Knight, which became a Crusader or a Slayer, respectively. Naruto's warrior was a Slayer, which used swords and closer ranged weapons which had more speed. Paladins and Crusaders used longer ranged weapons which were slower but stronger than the Slayer weapons.

Ability points were used to learn new abilities or to strengthen already learned moves. Five ability points were given for each level up.

Parties can be created to share EXP or for quests. Guilds, which were like bigger, more permanent parties, can also be made.

Naruto glanced at each of his characters and sighed. He was bored with this game and didn't feel like hacking into it again. He slid over to yet another computer which had a different MMORPG opened up. This one was called Olympia and was mainly about the Greek gods. It was newer than Luna, and just recently ended its open beta. Naruto hadn't played for very long, just starting very recently. It was similar to Luna except the character seemed more alive in a way. Even though it was a new game, it was well-developed, and Naruto hoped that this hack might actually present him with a challenge.

A gamer started out with a human character who would apprentice himself/herself to one of the Olympian deities (Hera, Aphrodite, Apollo, Ares, Poseidon, Hermes, Demeter, Dionysus, Hephaestus, Athena, or Artemis) Naruto had chosen to apprentice his character (IGN RamenKami) to Ares, god of war and bloodshed. To prove his loyalty, Naruto had to fetch a Flaming Tusk from a Fire Boar in the Desert Region. As Naruto walked around, trying to figure out the basic locations of the game and how to play, his screen went black.

Naruto frowned as he swallowed the rest of his jerky; either his computer had crashed or someone had hacked into his system. He slid over to yet _another _computer (So, basically, so far he has four computers…) and opened up his tracking system as he kept his eyes on the blank screen.

Words began to form on the black screen. Naruto leaned closer to the computer, entranced by this hack.

'Hello, Naruto.'

Naruto slid back to the hacked computer and typed back, 'Who are you?' This person somehow knew about him and if it was the police, he was dead. But he didn't think the cops would use a hack to get to a hacker… Or would they?

'Just a friend. Find me on Luna. IGN is Scarecrow.'

Naruto first rolled over to the forum computer and opened up the Luna website. As it loaded, he went to the Luna computer and signed on his CherryBlossom. He searched for this 'Scarecrow' and found him at Luna City AKA Noob Town. He used a teleport pot to get him to Luna City and walked around as he looked for 'Scarecrow'. Suddenly he was buddy requested by none other than 'Scarecrow' who sent him a message.

Scarecrow: Took you long enough.

Naruto rolled his eyes and typed back a message.

CherryBlossom: I like to take my time. You're lucky I even bothered.

Scarecrow: I had a feeling you'd look for me. You seem to be very bored.

CherryBlossom: How do you figure that?

Scarecrow: Lol, I know more about you than you may want to know. But enough of that… I have an interesting proposition for you… One that you might like… But before you do that you need to find me.

CherryBlossom: What makes you think I want to have anything to do with you?

Scarecrow: Hmmm, well, let's just say that this might give you the thrill you're looking for. If you can track me down and find out who I am, I will let you in on this. If not, you can go back to your boring life.

Naruto grinned; something that might give him a thrill… Even if it was a wild goose chase, he might as well give it a try.

CherryBlossom: You're on. I just have to find out who you really are, right?

Scarecrow: And track me down. Don't worry, I plan on staying at one place.

CherryBlossom: Too easy.

Scarecrow: Haha, perhaps, but I doubt it'll be as easy as you may think. Anyway, I suggest you get started… See ya…

Scarecrow signed off, and Naruto stared at the dialogue box, wondering if the name had any certain significance.

He switched back to the Luna website and searched for Scarecrow. The Luna website helpfully provided a search engine that allowed players to look for other players. As long as you had the name of a character, you can see their rank and stats. Probably not very helpful when one was trying to track down someone, but for Naruto it provided him with a way to find out more about someone. But the search engine popped up empty, stating there was no such character as Scarecrow.

Naruto grinned; he had hoped that this hacker was smart enough to remove his character from the search engine, making it impossible to locate him through the Luna website. Naruto had done the same for each of his characters but noob hackers didn't have a clue when it came to hiding their tracks.

Naruto slid over to the tracking computer and typed in the program to track the hack on his third computer. The program found nothing on the hack, not even an inkling from where it came from. He was about to open up a different program when his fifth (and last, I promise) computer made the IM sound.

Naruto sighed and rolled over, opening up his AIM and MSN Messenger. He also had his own private chat box, unable to be touched by other hackers or even the police. He opened up the IM and saw that it was his friend and fellow hacker Shikamaru (SN 1337D33RXD).

1337D33RXD: OMFG!!1!!!1 U gets contact from d00d called Scarecrow??//

RamenSwirls: Yeah, you?

1337D33RXD: Ya, bout hr ago on Luna. Been trying to finds him.

RamenSwirls: Same here, but he's kinda hard to track.

1337D33RXD: Lawl. Thinks I's gots a hold of hims… Can I's comes over?

RamenSwirls: Sure.

1337D33RXD: I's be rite over.

Shikamaru logged off, and Naruto went back to his hacking program. Shikamaru was a better hacker than Naruto was, and Naruto knew if anyone could find Scarecrow, it would be Shikamaru.

Shikamaru lived in the apartment across from Naruto's, so he was over in a few minutes. He barged through without knocking, making a face at the mess that was Naruto's room, "Do you ever clean up?"

Naruto glanced around his messy living-turned-into-computer room. This half of the room had a huge table with all his computers, empty ramen bowls, used wooden chopsticks, and a mess of wires running all over, plugging into various machines and outlets. The other half had two doors that led to the kitchenette and his bedroom, which he rarely slept in. His bedroom was for his clothes and to get to the bathroom. Most of the time he chose to sleep on the futon that was against the wall next to the computer tables or the couch on the other side. Both were covered in comforters, blankets, and pillows. Then there was a pile of boxes slumping against the wall that was filled with various electronic equipment that he knew would come in handy someday.

Naruto shrugged, "It's not that bad."

Shikamaru rolled his eyes, "So troublesome." He plopped onto the couch and opened up his laptop, "Anyway, back to this Scarecrow guy… Any leads on him?"

Naruto grinned, "He's good."

Shikamaru rolled his eyes, "Yeah, duh. Any trace of him is what I meant?"

Naruto shook his head, "Can't track the hack and can't track him on Luna."

Shikamaru sighed, "That's all you got done?"

Naruto smiled widely, "I knew you'd find him. I'm gonna eat some ramen. What some?"

"Already ate," Shikamaru said absently, lost in the world of binary.

Naruto trotted over to the kitchenette and started boiling water in the kettle as he unwrapped an instant ramen package. He waited for the water to boil, and then poured it into the Styrofoam instant ramen bowl. He kept the lid closed with chopsticks and waited for it to get ready.

Naruto walked back to the living room, ramen bowl in hand as he slurped it up. He peered at Shikamaru's computer, "Any luck?"

Shikamaru nodded as he grinned, "I think I found him."

**-fiddles around nervously-**

**Yeah, not the greatest plot ever, but I was just watching this one vid and one thing led to another… Ehehe…**

**I know that Shikamaru's chat isn't in real 1337, but I thought all the numbers and symbols would get annoying so I just stuck with bad grammar…**

**Also, I know that some of the things they're doing are impossible, but let's just say in this world it is… I'm not a real hacker or anything, so I'm quite sure what's in the realm of possibility and what isn't so please bear with me…**

**Oh, and I know the entire first like… -goes back to count- …nine paragraphs were totally pointless, but I think its better I explain the game now cuz it's gonna be important later… I think…**

**Anyway, read and review!!! I really want to hear what you guys think!!!111oneonesix**


	2. T3h 1337

**Well, it seems like I haven't offended anyone yet with this story so… I'll continue!!! Yay!!!**

**Chapter 2**

"_I think I found him."_

Naruto perked up, "Really?"

Shikamaru nodded, "Yup. When he hacked into out computers, he cleaned up his trail pretty well, but it seems he left a bit of a data trail behind for us to follow. Really tricky; he winded it around almost everywhere, but my program managed to track him. It seems he's at a hotel downtown…"

"Who is he?" Naruto pressed.

"One sec…" Shikamaru brought up Scarecrow's profile, "Here we go… Hatake Kakashi… Age: 21… Gender: Male… Huh, nothing else one him. It's as if he wiped himself totally clean…"

"Hatake Kakashi," Naruto mused, "Pretty good… So, how should we contact him?"

Shikamaru shrugged as he lied down on Naruto's couch, "Look for him on Luna. I'm going to sleep… This entire thing has been tiringly troublesome…"

Naruto sighed and finished his ramen, placing it with the stacks of other ramen bowls from past. He signed onto Luna and searched for Kakashi. He found him, once again at Noob City, and Naruto teleported his character over.

CherryBlossom: Found ya.

Scarecrow: So it seems. Well done, I expected it to take longer than that… But I suppose all the credit goes to your friend…

CherryBlossom: So? I could've founded you if I wanted… I'm just lazy…

Scarecrow: Oh, I have no doubt about that. Either way, both of you pass. Meet me at the arcade tomorrow at 8 P.M.… I believe you know which one…"

o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o

Shikamaru blew out a bored sigh, "This is such a drag… Why did he drag us all the way out here? An email would've been so much simpler…"

Naruto rolled his eyes, "You're too lazy, Shikamaru… You even do your grocery shopping online… You need to get out more…"

Shikamaru snorted, "Where's the point in that? I'd rather be with computers than with people…"

Naruto couldn't argue with that. He didn't feel comfortable face-to-face with people and felt much safer in the online world. He pointed to the arcade, "Over there."

The arcade was the one that Naruto went to often, when he was tired of playing on the computer. It was an older arcade, with its weathered, wooden sign above it, proclaiming it to be the Happy Happy Game Garden, but that's why Naruto liked it. He enjoyed playing the old-school games, with their awful graphics and cheesy music.

Naruto entered, "Jii-san?"

The old man who ran the store shuffled over, "Ah, Naruto-kun. Haven't seen you in a while. Who's your friend?"

Naruto grinned, "This is Shikamaru. Shikamaru, this is Jii-san."

Shikamaru mumbled politely, "Nice to meet you."

The old man ushered them in, "Well, come on in, and enjoy your stay…" He shuffled back behind the counter, watching a game show from a small television.

Naruto dragged Shikamaru to the back corner, where more of the newer games were. At these stations, people could fight against each other in booths opposite one another. Naruto sat down at one of the booths and pulled Shikamaru to the one next to him, "Look around for anyone who might be Kakashi."

Shikamaru sighed, "This is so troublesome." But he spun around on the spinning stool, pretending to be aloof and idle, but warily watching anyone that entered the game center.

Shikamaru tugged on Naruto's sleeve, "There."

Naruto glanced toward the way Shikamaru was pointing, "Who?"

Shikamaru gestured, "The blonde girl in the cute mini skirt." She had just entered through the door, glancing around as though looking for somebody. Her sandy, yellow hair was in four pigtails, and she was dressed in a black blouse with a red and black pinstriped tie, leather mini skirt, leggings that matched colors with her tie, and knee boots covered in chains and buckles.

Naruto rolled his eyes, "I thought you said Scarecrow was male."

Shikamaru grinned, "I know, but this girl's a leetian."

Naruto sighed, "How can you tell? There's no difference between leet people and normal people except that leet people have very bad grammar online. And how's a leet girl gonna help us?"

Shikamaru ignored his questions, "Just watch."

The blonde girl was walking down their aisle, and as she passed by Shikamaru, he muttered very quickly, "Line dash line three J, E-S three E-C-K-S J six exclamation point line two line underscore."

Much to Naruto's amazement, the blonde girl froze and turned, "One three three seven exclamation point four line front slash line?"

Shikamaru grinned, "J three line O. Underscore line zero zero two line less than sign line front slash line zero front slash back slash front slash back slash E-S parentheses four line two three parentheses line two zero front slash back slash front slash back slash?"

Naruto looked back and forth between the two, totally lost, "What the hell are you guys saying?"

The two of them ignored him and continued with their 1337 conversation.

The blonde girl grinned back, "E-S parentheses four line two three parentheses line two zero front slash back slash front slash back slash? Front slash back slash front slash back slash line dash line J?"

"Line front slash line zero line front slash line three zero line equal sign J zero line underscore line line two line three line underscore line E-S exclamation point line front slash line three E-S-E-S," Shikamaru replied, "Line less than sign line front slash line zero front slash back slash front slash back slash line dash line exclamation point back slash front slash back slash front slash?"

The blonde girl smirked, "J three four line dash line, line line less than sign line front slash line zero front slash back slash front slash back slash line dash line exclamation point back slash front slash back slash front slash. One three three seven line three four seven seven line three P-H zero line two exclamation point line front slash line P-H zero. Lin front slash back slash front slash back slash line front line line front slash line four line less than sign line front slash line zero front lash back slash front slash back slash front slash back slash front slash back slash line dash line zero J zero line underscore line four line two three."

Shikamaru grinned, "J zero line underscore line apostrophe line two three zero line front slash line."

**Okay, I have a feeling that most people didn't understand like the last couple lines so… HERE'S A TRANSLATION!!! –fanfare-**

The blonde girl was walking down their aisle, and as she passed by Shikamaru, he muttered very quickly, "Hey, sexy girl."

Much to Naruto's amazement, the blonde girl froze and turned, "Leetian?"

Shikamaru grinned, "Yep. You know Scarecrow?"

The blonde girl grinned back, "Scarecrow? Why?"

"None of your business," Shikamaru replied, "Know him?"

The blonde girl smirked, "Yeah, I know him. Leet battle for info. I wanna know who you are."

Shikamaru grinned, "You're on."

**End Translation**

The girl sat down on a stool across Shikamaru, "Line front slash line underscore zero dash zero line three two line underscore line one three three front slash back slash three front slash back slash zero three four exclamation point exclamation point one one six!"

Shikamaru retorted, "Six front slash back slash one one underscore line three three one exclamation point back slash front slash back slash line dash line zero line two three exclamation point exclamation point exclamation point one one one six six!!"

The girl frowned, "Zero front slash back slash front slash back slash three four eight seven underscore line dash line line three four two seven four line two line parentheses exclamation point exclamation point four five six six!!!"

Shikamaru narrowed his eyes, "Line three line parentheses line dash line exclamation point exclamation point exclamation point one one one six eight four six!!!!"

The girl scoffed, "Line front slash line zero zero line three. Seven line dash line four seven apostrophe two line seven?"

Shikamaru smirked, "Front slash back slash zero four underscore line dash zero eight nine front slash dash back slash three one four zero underscore parentheses end parentheses line less than sign line quotation mark seven underscore six nine theta underscore line dash line lambda omega front slash back slash exclamation point exclamation point exclamation point one one six three eight four nine nine!!!!!"

The girl stared at him astonished, "You even know old school leet?"

Naruto nearly fell out of his chair when he heard those words, "Oh, my Kami, normal talk!!!" There was a trail of drool on his chin from when he fell asleep during their leet battle.

Shikamaru rolled his eyes, "Yeah… I guess I win. Who's Scarecrow?"

The girl folded her arms, "Now, see here-"

She was interrupted by a newcomer, an older man around his twenties with poofy silver hair, lower half of his face covered by a mask, "That's enough, Temari. I know you hate to lose, but they won."

Temari scoffed, "Front slash back slash front slash back slash back slash three. (w/e whatever)" She stalked away, "See ya later."

The newcomer chuckled, "Forgive here, she can be temperamental. We haven't met before, but you know me."

"Scarecrow," Naruto practically yelled, stating the obvious.

Shikamaru glared his Shut-up-now-or-I-will-leet-you-to-death glare at Naruto before turning to Scarecrow, "So, you're Kakashi."

Kakashi nodded, "Yeah. You've met Temari who was supposed to test Naruto, but she got distracted by you." The last word was directed at Shikamaru, who just shrugged.

Kakashi turned his gaze onto Naruto, "So I'll be the one to test you."

Naruto grinned and spun around on his stool in a most childish manner, "Awesome!! How you gonna do that?"

Kakashi sat in front of the game booth in front of Naruto, "A challenge."

Naruto glanced at his screen and saw the blinking red words, NEW CHALLENGE. He grinned, "You'll never beat me."

Kakashi chuckled, "We'll see."

**-leans back in chair, exhausted-**

**Man, that leet battle was so tiring… Most of it wasn't real leet, just gibberish, but I added a few insults in between… XD Also, I don't know if what Shikamaru said at the end was old-school leet or if there is such thing as old school leet, I just added that in… And I don't think there's really anything called leet battles, I just made that up as well…**

**Anyway, that was really tiring, but I'm glad I got it over with… Whew… Now I just gotta write the Kakashi versus Naruto…**

**Anyway, as always please review!!!**


	3. T3h V1ru5

**I haven't updated this story in a while, so sorry my loyal fans!!!**

**In this chapter, there is a bit of NarutoGaara interaction, but not much… Also, several new characters are introduced and an idea of where this story is going…**

**Hopefully, I'll update this story more in the future, but it makes me tired just thinking about all the brain work I have to do… T_T**

**Anyway, read and review!!!**

**Chapter 3**

_Kakashi turned his gaze onto Naruto, "So I'll be the one to test you."_

_Naruto grinned and spun around on his stool in a most childish manner, "Awesome!! How you gonna do that?"_

_Kakashi sat in front of the game booth in front of Naruto, "A challenge."_

_Naruto glanced at his screen and saw the blinking red words, NEW CHALLENGE. He grinned, "You'll never beat me."_

_Kakashi chuckled, "We'll see."_

Naruto grinned as the two of them chose their characters. They game Kakashi had chosen was a fighting game called Dragons which Naruto had played since he was young. There was no way he could lose. He selected Takashi, a seemingly normal teenage boy who was unnaturally skillful with a sword. Kakashi had chosen Matsuri, a female with the classic huge anime boobs and hourglass body. She used a yari, or a Japanese spear, and was thoroughly trained in the art of soujutsu.

Naruto smirked, the yari had a long range, but it was much slower than a katana. He'd be able to use Takashi's speed to his advantage.

"Ready… FIGHT!!!"

Naruto swiftly charged in, readying for a combo attack.

Kakashi swung down the yari, but Naruto knew it was too slow to match his speed.

But much to his surprise, the spear scored a direct hit.

Naruto stared dumbfounded at the screen. That attack couldn't have scored a direct hit… Unless… Naruto glanced across his game station at Kakashi who was still focused on the game. Naruto smiled; of course, he should've know it couldn't be that easy. He drew out a jack from his pocket, which was connected to a mini-keyboard and plugged it into a socket underneath his station. He quickly typed in a code, granting his character greater strength. He continued to dodge Matsuri's blows, waiting for an opening.

Matsuri lifted up her spear for her combo, but then Takashi lunged forward, scoring a direct hit with a horizontal slash. Naruto proceeded with several combos, giving Kakashi no room to escape. But then, suddenly, Matsuri teleported behind him as she slammed her yari down on Takashi.

Naruto glanced across and quickly typed in another code, "You're not too bad."

Kakashi chuckled, "Thanks. You're not half-bad yourself."

Takeshi dashed in to attack again, and Matsuri again teleported behind him. But at the split second she tried to attack, Takeshi spun around, mid-attack, and sliced into Matsuri, sending her health meter down to zero.

'K.O.' flashed across the screen, followed by, 'Winner: Takeshi'.

Kakashi stood up, "It seems you pass. Well done."

Naruto grinned, "So what's next?"

Kakashi chuckled, "Follow me."

**o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o**

Kakashi and Temari led the two to a seemingly innocuous apartment. It looked like any old regular three-story apartment, with whitish, beige painted walls, fenced by an iron gate.

Kakashi led them through and took them to the third floor by elevator, and they all stood in silence as the machinery hummed around them.

The third floor looked as ordinary as the outside, with four rooms along each side, each door with a number plate drilled in. Kakashi walked into a room labled Room 301, and Temari followed.

Naruto and Shikamaru hesitated for a moment, glanced at each other, and then walked in.

The room itself looked like Naruto's, except far messier. There was a large table by the window, covered with monitors, keyboards, CPUs, and mouses, and were several wires scattered around a swivel chair, all leading to a socket somewhere in the vicinity. A stack of CDs, color coded by case, were precariously stacked against the table beside a smaller pile of flash drives, floppies, and micro chips.

To the left of the door was a kitchenette, several stacks of canned food scattered about. A wooden table-chair set sat close to the doorway, but left enough room for people to easily come and go. Further in, was a doorway that, as far as Naruto could see, led to a bedroom, and presumably, a bathroom. To the right was an old, worn couch, covered with comforters, pillows, an a small pug.

Kakashi was bustling around in the kitchen, "Sorry about the mess. And don't worry about Pakkun, he's not a biter."

Naruto assumed that Pakkun was the little pug sitting on the couch, and gave it a furtive glance, "Um, so exactly why are we here?"

Kakashi brought out three cans of Coke and set them on the table, "Let's wait til the others get here, shall we? Help yourself."

Naruto took two of the cans and handed one to Shikamaru, "Others?"

Kakashi chuckled, "You guys aren't the only newbies we've recruited."

"Recruiting for what?" Shikamaru questioned.

Temari opened her can, "He just said to wait. Can't you guys comprehend anything?"

Naruto opened his mouth to retort, but then someone knocked on the door.

"Come in," Kakashi called out.

The door slowly opened and a pale red-headed male and a brunette walked in.

"Gaara, Kankuro," Kakashi greeted, "Bring anyone?"

Kankuro rolled his eyes, which were heavily surrounded by deep purple eyeliner, "Gaara couldn't find anyone he liked. Big surprise there."

Gaara's sea-green eyes, also heavily ringed with black liner, flashed in annoyance, "I couldn't find anyone because I was busy trying to stop you from recruiting any girl that wanted to get in your pants."

"I wasn't going to recruit them," Kankuro objected, "I was just being friendly."

"Boys," Temari sighed, "Stop fighting…"

Gaara shook his head and collapsed on the couch. He noticed Naruto and Shikamaru, "Newbies?"

Before anyone could answer, the door burst open, and a man with a hairstyle very much like Shikamaru's and a horizontal scar across the bridge of his nose, walked in, a dog-like boy in tow.

Kankuro jabbed Gaara in the ribs, "Even Iruka brought someone!!!"

Gaara just grunted, "That's everyone, right?"

Iruka grinned at Kakashi, "Sorry we're late. This guy was quite a hacker. Meet Kiba Inuzuka."

Kiba looked at the others curiously, "What is this place?"

Kakashi cleared his throat, "Well, now that we are all here, I can explain everything to you three. As you may have already found out, we are all hackers of some kind, each of us with our own specialty. And for something that I have planned, I need all of you to make it work. Now this something is probably something that you've never even heard about, mainly because of how difficult it is. But I believe if all of us work together we can make this happen."

Kakashi paused, "I'm sure all of you are wondering… What am I talking about? Well, to put it plain and simple, I want us to take down Sharingan Co."

Naruto's jaw dropped at the last line. Sharingan Co. was the biggest producer of all things electronic, be it video games, computers, programs. You name it, Sharingan probably that and more.

Shikamaru was probably thinking the same thing, "You're crazy. Sharingan is unhackable, unbreakable."

Kakashi chuckled, "I'm sure you would see it that way. But I do know about it's strengths and it's weaknesses. It is not impossible to bring it down."

Shikamaru crossed his arms, "You're gonna have to convince me somehow. Tell me what the plan is."

Kakashi leaned against the counter, "I cannot tell you what I have planned unless I'm sure that you will join."

Shikamaru narrowed his eyes, "Then I'm out."

Kakashi tapped his chin, "Do you know how Sharingan rose to power?"

"They got lucky," Shikamaru replied, "A bunch of companies decided to invest everything they had into Sharingan's beginning."

Kakashi laughed bitterly, "Yeah, that's what they want you to think. They forced those companies into investing with them. They black-mailed, strong-armed, tortured… Whatever they ahd to in order to gain the power necessary to start their company."

Naruto glanced at Shikamaru; Shikamaru's parents were once the owners of a small computer company that specialized in programming games. One night they were found dead in an alley, and their company was bought cheap by Sharingan.

Shikamaru clenched his fist, "Are you saying…?"

Kakashi nodded slowly, "I'm sure you understand the implications of this."

"Implications?" Shikamaru snarled, "The fuckers killed my parents."

"Then help me bring them down," Kakashi said, "Avenge your parents."

Shikamaru jerked his head, "Fine. I'm in."

Naruto nodded as well; he had nothing to do with Sharingan, but he had always known that he wasn't meant to waste his life away on computer games, hacking into such little things. He glanced at Shikamaru, who's body was still as rigid as a board; he would have to support his friend as much as he could.

Kiba nodded, "I'll join in as well. Sounds fun."

Kakashi clapped his hands, "Perfect. Now, we'll contact you three soon. We won't start with Sharingan, something smaller to practice on first. Not to mention, we need to make sure we can trust you…"

Naruto grinned, "Can't wait."

**o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o**

Naruto stared at the computer screen as the dialogue continued between his character, RamenKami, and the god, Ares. He had fetched the Flaming Tusk and had proven his loyalty. Now Ares was going on about this long speech about warriors, their honor, courage, blah, blah, blah…

As he had signed in, Naruto had noticed that this game had been created by none other than Sharingan. Naruto leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes, letting the music of Rage Against the Machine, blare around him. Now that he thought about, Sharingan did have a rather shady past, but anyone who seemed to point that out, disappeared off the face of the earth.

So Sharingan grew in power until even the government, supplied by Sharingan, was helpless to stop their heinous crimes.

Naruto's reopened his eyes and slouched over the table. Ares was finally finished with his speech and was now granting RamenKami armor, a sword, and new abilities. He also presented him with a quest, to find Prometheus and slay him.

As Naruto turned to walk away from Ares, another character named 'SandDemon' walked up to him and asked for a private chat. Naruto frowned and clicked 'agree,' curiosity getting the better of him.

SandDemon: Naruto?

RamenKami: Who are you?"

SandDemon: I haven't formally introduced myself to you. My name is Gaara.

Naruto remembered Gaara, the pale red-head, from their meeting last time.

RamenKami: Nice to meet you.

SandDemon: I'm gonna be your partner for today's mission.

RamenKami: What mission?

SandDemon: It's not too difficult. You play Luna, don't you?

RamenKami: Yeah, so what?

SandDemon: We're going to create a distraction using that game.

RamenKami: What kind of distraction do you have planned?

SandDemon: You'll see. Be online at 8 sharp.

The chat was disconnected as Gaara signed off, and Naruto did the same. He leaned back in his chair, wondering what kind of distraction they were going to start.

His doorbell rang, and Naruto stood to answer, "Who is it?"

"It's a package for you, sir."

Naruto opened the door and a mailman stood before him, a small white package in hand. "It looks kinda fancy so I didn't want to just leave it on your doorstep."

Naruto took the package, "Thanks."

The mailman bobbed his head and walked away as Naruto shut the door. He ripped open the white cover and tore open the box after a bit of struggle with the tape. He pulled out the Styrofoam and pulled the two halves apart. Inside was an ordinary flash drive with a sleek black case bordered with silver. A slip of paper was wrapped around it, and Naruto unfolded it.

Inside were only two words.

Open It.

Naruto inspected the flash drive; it looked harmless enough, but what it contained could be far less innocuous. Still it couldn't hurt.

After digging under a mess of wires, Naruto pulled out his laptop and switched it on. This way, none of his more important files could get accessed to. He slipped the flash drive into an open port, and the folder popped up.

Inside were three files, one of which was labeled 'Read me first.'

Naruto complied and opened the file, which was an ordinary Word document. Inside was written:

Naruto, Gaara should've informed you of our plans by now, though he hasn't told you everything for fear of an information leak.

We are going to use Luna to spread a virus and the overflow of unsatisfied customers will distract Sharingan Corporation from a bigger plan we have in mind.

On this file is the virus we plan to use. Don't worry, it's harmless. The only thing it'll cause is a shut down of a computer once the Luna game has been activated. Of course, a removal program is also in the flash drive, just in case you let it out on your own computer, but I'm hoping you won't need that.

The use of the virus is simple. You know of the trade system in Luna. All you have to do is attach the virus when you trade something. It'll spread from the victim's Luna account into their computer. Even virus protection won't be able to help, mainly because a little bit of genius on Gaara's part.

Spread the virus to as many people as you can. Be creative, I know you can do it.

-Scarecrow

Naruto took another look at the flash drive. It amazed how something so small could carry something so powerful.

He sat down in front of his Luna computer and plugged the flash drive in. He rubbed his hands in anticipation.

Let the games begin.

**Haha, yes, quite an exciting chapter… I guess…**

**Gaara: I barely came out.**

**Me: Sorry!!! But hey, you're a pro virus creator!!**

**Gaara: …**

**Me: …Anyway, hoped you guys enjoyed!!! Any hints on computer jargon is greatly appreciated!!!**


	4. T3h T35t

**WELL, it certainly has been a long time since I updated this story… And I apologize for that… I just haven't been motivated. But here it is!!! And update!!!**

**Chapter 4**

Naruto stretched as he watched his genius at work. He had set up shop in the middle of the square and started selling some of his no longer needed items for prices that would probably have most gamers confuzzled. Naruto grinned; his stock was selling faster than wildfire and pretty soon, he'd have a good number of people infected with the virus. Then he'd go back to the merchant, buy some more armor, and start all over again. A tedious process, so Naruto decided to load a movie he had been dying to watch and make some ramen.

The movie was called Sukiyaki Western Django, and Shikamaru had claimed it was good. After judging the cover, Naruto had decided it couldn't be all that bad. It was an action movie and there was a cute Asian guy in front, after all.

He filled the kettle with water and set it to boil. He unwrapped the plastic from the styrofoam bowl of ramen and grabbed pair of unused wooden chopsticks. After preparation, he took his meal and a bottle of water to his computer station, checked on the progress of the virus, and started the movie.

The movie was far from dull, but it was a rather strange film. He only stopped every now and then for a bathroom break or to re-supply his goods to make sure the virus continued spreading.

After the hour and a half movie was over, Naruto tossed his empty ramen bowl and chopsticks away and again restocked his shop for the 23th time, smiling at the success of it all.

He selected another movie Shikamaru had lended him, Resident Evil: Degeneration, which actually looked normal, considering all the other obscure movies Shikamaru tended to watch.

Naruto had only played Resident Evil once, he wasn't quite sure which one, and never wanted to play again after getting freaked out by the crazy Spanish people with chainsaws. Shikamaru had called him a wimp, but Naruto had refused to be goaded into playing again. Chainsaws were scary, especially when they're aimed at you. So he just watched as Shikamaru breezed through the whole thing, ten years of gaming experience guiding him.

Naruto smiled as he reminisced on that sleepover. It had been a fun night, other than the Resident Evil, especially when they hacked into the emails of old schoolmates. The most interesting had been a love proclamation from Lee to that slut, Sakura. He and Shikamaru had laughed so much, he seriously wondered how he hadn't died from it.

The movie wasn't nearly as scary as the games were, especially since Naruto's eyes were continuously drawn to Leon Kennedy. Naruto always liked the strong and silent types, and he couldn't help but feel a tad bit jealous when Leon kissed Angela, even though he knew it was all just animation.

Naruto sighed and leaned back in his chair. He needed a life, and by that, he meant a love life. He was a virgin in all aspects; he'd never been kissed or fucked, his ass or penis untouched by foreign hands. It really was kinda sad, but Naruto rarely went out. The only schooling he had was a free computer class that had piqued his interest, and his fellow members were nerds who were more interested in cracking binary codes than checking out some ass.

Naruto glanced at the Luna screen and saw that Gaara had messaged him a couple times, the last few lines asking if he was there or not.

Naruto jumped to the keyboard and quickly typed his response.

RamenFreak: Sorry, I got a bit distracted.

SandDemon (It was the same IGN as his Olympia account, which made things easy): It's fine. Just wanted to tell you, you can stop distributing the virus. Thanks for your work.

RamenFreak: No problem. Is there anything else we need to do?

SandDemon: Scarecrow is holding another meeting soon. You'll get a e-mail stating when and where.

RamenFreak: Alright. Thanks.

SandDemon: I'll see you later then.

Gaara sighed off, and Naruto did the same. He shut off the movie, getting annoyed at al the touchy-feely that Angela was getting from Leon just as an IM popped up on one of his computers.

1337D33RXD: Yos. Can I's come over? Bored as hell.

RamenSwirls: …Are you gonna play some video game again and bother me about it.

1337D33RXD: ...No.

RamenSwirls: Uhuh…

1337D33RXD: Well…

RamenSwirls: Well?

1337D33RXD: Okay, it is a video game, but you'll like it, I promise. Super Smash Bros Brawl?

RamenSwirls: HOW'D YOU GET IT!?!? It's supposed to be impossible to get to.

1337D33RXD: Ha. I got it from an old friend.

RamenSwirls: Alright. Come on over. Want pizza for dinner?

1337D33RXD: Sounds good. Be right there.

Shikamaru signed off, and Naruto dived for the widescreen T.V. that was buried behind the boxes. He moved aside the boxes and hooked up the Wii into the television, pushing aside the various Playstation and Xbox consoles.

He hadn't played video games in a while, so he left his T.V. to gather dust, mainly because there really was nothing that caught his interest.

Satisfied that everything still worked, he grabbed his cell phone and called the nearby Pizza Hut and ordered two larges with everything and two bottles of Coke just as Shikamaru kicked the door open, triumphantly holding up Brawl.

Naruto squawked and dropped his phone, luckily after he had finished the order. He snatched it out of Shikamaru's hands, "No way. Everyone said it was IMPOSSIBLE to get… It's not out anywhere…"

Shikamaru grinned, "Who cares how I got it. I challenge you!!"

Naruto returned the grin, "You're on."

Naruto slipped the disc into the Wii, and the opening screen popped up. Shikamaru picked up a Gamecube controller, and Naruto decided to stick with the Wiimote.

They played, mostly fooling around, until the pizza came. They stuffed their faces, because Naruto didn't want them to grease up the controllers, and then returned to playing.

After five hours, Naruto flopped onto his back, "I'm tired. Let's take a break."

Shikamaru rolled his eyes and ejected Brawl, "Well… You won't mind if I play this then?" He pulled out Resident Evil 5, and Naruto snapped up, "Just how many illegal downloads do you have with you?"

"Just these two."

Naruto eyed the Resident Evil with distaste, "It's going to be scary, huh?"

Shikamaru sighed, "It wouldn't be very good if it wasn't."

Naruto plopped down onto his bed, "I knew it… You used Brawl to trick me so you could play this here… Why don't you go play at home?"

"Because it's so much more fun to hear you screaming like a wuss."

Naruto stuck his tongue out at Shikamaru, who shook his head at the immature gesture, laughing. Shikamaru started up the game, and Naruto picked up the trash and threw them away.

Naruto curled up under the covers, steeling himself for what he was about to witness.

Shikamaru glanced back and grinned, "You don't have to watch, you know."

Naruto sighed, "I know. But I'm curious, even if it scares me half to death." It really was a bad habit of his. Even if he tried his hardest to distract himself, it just didn't work.

Shikamaru zoomed through the intro, understanding the Japanese faster than Naruto could count to ten.

"Hey, Shikamaru… Did Scarecrow as you to distribute the virus? In Luna?"

"Yep. You too?"

"Yeah. You really think its good enough to stop Sharingan? I mean… It just doesn't feel like it'll do anything to a giant like them…"

"The bigger it is, the harder it falls," Shikamaru responded as he blasted off the head of a… Naruto didn't want to describe it.

Someone pounded on the door, "Police!!! Open up!!!"

Naruto and Shikamaru exchanged alarmed glanced and jumped into action. Naruto turned off all his computers and hid everything that could be considered illegal under wires. Shikamaru took both of the pirated games and threw them into the box of electronics.

"Why are the cops here?" Naruto hissed.

"It's not my fault," Shikaru retorted, "I didn't do anything!!!"

"You must've done something!!!"

"Open up, or we'll enter by force."

Naruto jabbed a finger at Shikamaru, "If we go to jail, I'm going to kill you."

"Just open the door."

Naruto flung the door open, and two officers, one a blonde female, the other a chubby male, stood there, and the female flicked open her badge, "Name's Ino. May we come in?"

Naruto tried to look as calm as he could, "Before that, can I ask what business you have here?"

Ino sighed and pulled out a sheet of paper, but Naruto didn't need to see it know what it was.

A warrant.

They knew.

Shit.

Naruto swallowed, "On what grounds?"

"We received a tip-off that a hacker resided here, one who has been stealing from banks. Are you Naruto Uzumaki?"

"Actually, I'm not. My name's-"

The fat officer's fist came at him and hit him hard, clocking him on the temple.

Naruto fell down to the floor, woozy from the blow. Another blow to the head.

Darkness.

**o.O.o.O.o.O.o**

Naruto groaned as he slowly returned to consciousness, blinking at the brightness of the light bulb that hung tauntingly above him. How it was snubbing him, he wasn't sure, but he knew it was laughing at him, somehow. He lolled his head forward and realized that he was tied down to a chair. Is this what normally happened? Shouldn't he be in a prison cell, not a freakin' interrogation room?

Unless…

Sharingan was involved.

They found him.

Expletives hissed from his lips as he tried to rip free, but it was no use. He was tied down tight.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

They were going to kill him.

No, no, he had to look on the bright side. Maybe they'd offer some sweet deal.

He doubted it. Not after hearing what they did to Shikamaru's parents.

Ruthless.

The door creaked open, and a man entered, although it was hard to tell because he was mostly hidden by the darkness. He sat before Naruto, "Mr. Uzumaki. Glad you could join us. How are you feeling?"

"Like shit. Where's Shikamaru? And where are my rights?"

The man chuckled coldly, "Here you don't have rights, Mr. Uzumaki. As for your friend… He's already been disposed of."

Naruto's blood ran cold, "You… He's dead?"

"I'll leave that up to your imagination. Mr. Uzumaki… Scarecrow… Has a man who goes by the name of Scarecrow contact you?"

"Who?" He had to keep his cool. He couldn't reveal anything.

"Scarecrow."

"Nope, doesn't ring a bell."

"We know you've contacted him through our Luna game."

"Really? You sure it wasn't a trade or something?"

"Possibly. That's what I was hoping you could tell me."

"Well, seeing as I don't remember much, I'm guessing he was just some noob that was bothering me."

The man sighed, "That's too bad." He stood up, "I wanted to take care of as… cleanly as I could. After all, it's best when we don't have to use such dirty methods."

Torture. They were going to torture him.

"I'll give you one last chance, Mr. Uzumaki. Who is Scarecrow?"

Naruto scrunched his eyes shut. He had to choose… He didn't want to die, he didn't want to go through torture.

"Alright, alright. You have to promise you won't tell anyone, though. It'll be a secret between you and me."

"…Alright, I promise."

"Okay, come closer." The man leaned in, and Naruto whispered, "His name is… Go fuck yourself, asshole."

The man stared at him for a while and then started laughing. A cacophony of groans and sounds of annoyance came from the other side of the door, and it was kicked open. The officer from before, Ino, stood there, "Choji!!! You idiot!!!"

Brighter lights were turned on, revealing the interrogation man to be the other officer, Choji.

Naruto wildly looked around; he was in a small study of some sort, clean and neat.

Choji was rolling on the floor laughing, "Sorry, sorry, I couldn't help it."

Kakashi entered the room, "It doesn't matter. We can trust him."

Naruto gaped at Kakashi, "You mean… This was all a trick?"

"A test," Kakashi corrected, "You and Shikamaru passed with flying colors."

Naruto slouched in his seat, "God, I should be angry right now, but I'm too tired. You know, I nearly pissed myself, I was so fucking scared."

"I know, and I apologize. This is a risky job, and you can never be too cautious."

"Nah, I'm just glad it wasn't real. So what now?"

"You can go home now. We'll contact you ASAP once we decide to move on to the next stage."

So Naruto left Kakashi's apartment after introducing himself to Ino and Choji, two other members of their hacker team.

As soon as he was a safe distance from the apartment, Naruto pulled out his cell phone and speed-dialed.

It picked up after the first ring, "Uzumaki?"

"I have their trust."

"Excellent. Do you know of their plan yet?"

"No, but soon."

"I'm impressed by your work, Uzumaki. I'll be expecting another report from you soon."

"Yes… Mr. Sasuke."

**And here's the end of the chapter. Hopefully, the next won't take so long to write, but if it does, I apologize for leaving it at such a mean cliffhanger XD**


	5. T3h Turn

**Wahoo, another update. I don't like this chapter. Not one bit. Except the end. But the trouble was getting through the middle…**

**Chapter 5**

"_I have their trust."_

"_Excellent. Do you know of their plan yet?"_

"_No, but soon."_

"_I'm impressed by your work, Uzumaki. I'll be expecting another report from you soon."_

"_Yes… Mr. Sasuke."_

**o.O.o.O.o.O.o**

Kakashi peered through his binoculars from the roof of the opposing building of Sharingan Corp., watching every movement of Uchiha Sasuke, co-president of Sharingan Corp. and director of the Konoha branch.

Unlike his elder brother, Sasuke was more open to the world, moving freely in the public.

The perfect gate into Sharingan's mainframe.

Kakashi smiled as Sasuke left the tall Sharingan skyscraper and head into a sleek limousine. Sasuke Uchiha was known to be quite the playboy, and his target were generally tall, blonde males.

And this is where Naruto came in.

**o.O.o.O.o.O.o**

Naruto downed another shot and took another glance around the bar. This was taking FOREVER. All he really wanted to do was to be at home, surfing the Net, but because he was blonde, he was stuck here, the bar, Reinbowe.

It really was a classy gay bar, but that's what Naruto hated the most. He hated the fact that he was sitting on top-of-the line leather seats, that the crap he drank was high-quality, that people carried themselves like they were the kings of the earth.

Most of all, he hated these CLOTHES. Damn Kakashi for wanting him to fit in with the crowd. But there was no way he could lure in Sasuke Uchiha if he was wearing jeans and a faded t-shirt.

So that was why he was stuck in a silky blue button-up shirt, black slacks, and some nice, shiny, hard, uncomfortable shoes.

The bartender, Asuma his name was, as Naruto learned earlier, placed another shot in front of him, "Seems like you got stood up."

"I sure hope not," Naruto grumbled, "I really don't want my day to get any worse."

"Shit happens."

"Oh, you wouldn't believe."

"Well, hello there."

Naruto half-turned, still in the midst of drinking, and nearly spat it all out when he saw a raven-haired prince before him.

Sasuke smirked as the flustered Naruto, "I don't think I've seen your face around here."

Naruto smiled inwardly; so he wanted to play a game… He stuttered, "You're… You're Sasuke Uchiha."

Sasuke sat down beside Naruto, "Vodka. For two." He tilted his head as he appraised Naruto, "Something bothering you, blondie?"

Naruto cleared his throat, "Uh, well… I was just waiting for someone. Seems like he'll be late though."

Sasuke smiled, "I hope you don't mind me taking some of your time, then."

"Oh, not at all."

Asuma placed their drinks in front of them, and Naruto tossed it all down his throat, grimacing at the potency of it. He wasn't all that fond of drinking, but his body knew how to hold its liquor. He'd only gotten buzzed twice in his life, and he damn near had to drink a whole keg.

Sasuke sipped his vodka, "So who exactly are you waiting for? A friend? Or…"

Naruto smiled, "Just a friend. But he's the type to forget things, so I don't think he's coming."

Sasuke nodded and finished the rest of his drink, "Well, in that case, would you like to accompany me for the night?"

Naruto blinked, "Uh, if it's alright with you."

Sasuke grinned and stood, "If it wasn't okay, I wouldn't be asking you." He turned to Asuma, "Just take it out of my account."

Asuma nodded, and Sasuke nudged Naruto, "Come on. I don't suppose you've eaten dinner yet."

Naruto shook his head.

"You have a preference for anything?" Sasuke asked as they left the Reinbowe, and Naruto shrugged, "It doesn't matter to me. Food is food."

"I know a good sushi bar down the street. That sound good?"

"Sure."

Naruto shivered as the cold, night air enveloped him, and jammed his hands into his pockets to keep them warm. As he did so, Sasuke hooked one arm around Naruto elbow and clung on tightly, creating the image of a sweet, gay couple.

As they walked down the street, an elderly pair of women tsked in disdain, while a group of teenage girls giggled and smiled.

Naruto wanted to laugh, but instead he turned to Sasuke, "Feeling warm, sweetheart?"

Sasuke smiled innocently, but his eyes were glimmering with mischief. He tiptoed to match Naruto's height and kissed him softly on the lips.

Naruto vaguely heard a middle-age couple gasp in shock, but he was stunned by Sasuke's action. His first kiss had just been from his boss.

Gross.

Sasuke noticed Naruto's shocked expression, "Don't tell me that was your first."

Naruto opted to stay quiet, and Sasuke laughed, "Are you serious? No way!!!"

"So what?" Naruto grumbled, clearly disgruntled by Sasuke's reaction, "It's not that big of a deal."

"It is a big deal. With looks like yours, people should've been dying to get some from you."

"No, it's not that. It's just no one really interests me."

Sasuke smiled coyly, "What about me?"

"…Is that the sushi bar?"

It was aptly named SushiYa (basically, sushi shop in Japanese, fyi) and furnished very much like a tradition Japanese sushi bar.

The two took their seats in a secluded corner, and Naruto admired a large model of a swordfish hanging above them.

"So how do you propose we deal with this… rebellious faction?" Sasuke asked, sipping his steaming tea.

"Nothing for now. I'm in, but Kakashi's smart enough not to divulge all of the plan."

"Hmmm."

"Sorry to seem rude, but I'm curious. Why exactly haven't you used more… forceful methods against Kakashi?"

Sasuke smiled, "Well, there are several reasons. One, we never can triangulate Kakashi's position. He moves like the wind. Also, it's my brother who prefers aggression. I prefer more subtle ways of getting what I want. Not to mention, this makes it easier to obtain information. After all, torture doesn't always work."

A waitress swung by and asked what they wanted. Sasuke ordered _udon_, a type of Japanese, thick noodle in soup, and Naruto ordered _nigirizushi_, a simple type of sushi that consisted of a shaped clump of rice topped with a slice of raw fish, and pork ramen.

Sasuke blew at his tea, "For now, I need you to work with them, even if it means sabotaging Sharingan Corp. It's crucial that we find out by what means Kakashi plans to take down the company. Our reputation can take a beating if it needs to, but if Kakashi gets inside, then we probably won't be able to stop him from destroying us. So as soon as you understand what he's doing and how he's doing it, alert me, and you will receive the rest of your pay."

"Sounds easy enough."

Sasuke chuckled, "It isn't easy for me. How can I possibly trust you when you are willing to betray your, how should I say it, comrades? Kin?"

Naruto shrugged, "Just because we're all hackers doesn't mean we're all friends. Just the opposite, actually. Hackers generally are very territorial, and we generally don't like working with others unless it's absolutely necessary or when the situation asks for it. If it had been anyone other than Kakashi leading the operation, I would've said that the whole thing would fall apart, just from internal disputes."

"So Kakashi is that influential?"

"Yeah, he's renowned in the hacker world. You either hate him or adore him."

"Huh. I suppose it doesn't take a genius to figure out which side of the spectrum you're on."

Naruto grinned, "Probably not."

Their food arrived, and Naruto dove in, shoveling food down. Sasuke was less enthusiastic, slowly spiraling the noodles around his chopsticks.

They ate in silence, and Naruto finished his meal with a gulp of tea, sighing contentedly, "That was delicious."

Sasuke set down his chopsticks, "I'm glad it was to your liking." He signaled for the check to be brought over as Naruto dug out a stick of gum from his pocket.

Sasuke tossed a few twenties onto the little tray and smiled brilliantly at the waitress who served them, "Keep the change."

The two walked out of the restaurant, and Sasuke offered, "Shall I take you home?"

"Nah, I'll go walk. It's a nice night."

"Til next time, then."

"Yeah, see ya."

Sasuke walked over to a Benz that somehow was already waiting for him and sped back home. Naruto watched as he left and turned back towards the restaurant. Gaara was leaning casually beside the doorway.

"He doesn't want me to do anything for now," Naruto muttered, "Stay low and find more information."

Gaara nodded slowly, "We're lucky that he's more conservative than his brother. Otherwise this wouldn't have worked."

Naruto nodded, "I still don't like this though."

"Me neither. Kakashi seems to be confident, but this plan has too many holes. Not to mention you're in a lot of danger, playing the double agent."

"Why did he choose me? Do you think he knows-"

"Perhaps. I wouldn't be surprised if he did."

"You know, the whole point of me making a new identity was so no one figured out who I really was."

"I think Kakashi knows to keep his mouth shut."

Naruto shuffled about, "It still makes me feel uncomfortable."

"Uncomfortable enough to chicken out?"

Naruto sighed, "You can be harsh, Gaara."

"It's the only way to keep your lazy butt working." The corner's of Gaara's lips were pulled up in the vague impression of a smile.

"Ouch. The truth hurts," Naruto grinned, "No one can insult my pride like you do, Gaara."

"Not even Uchiha Sasuke." Naruto eyed Gaara carefully, "Funny you should mention him."

"He kissed you," Gaara said, his face sullen, "I don't like that."

Naruto clapped Gaara on the shoulder, laughing, "I can take care of myself. I know you're my adoptive brother, but you don't have to take it that far. It's not like I'm a girl or anything."

Gaara grunted, "I just don't like Uchiha, period. And seeing him get all mushy with you isn't helping."

"I know, I know. But none of its real, remember that. We're just using him to get inside."

"I get it," Gaara crossed his arms, "But if you fall in love with an ass like him, I'm gonna shoot myself."

Naruto laughed, "No worries, Gaara. I don't plan on falling in love with him." And he didn't. This was all just business. Not exactly the kind that got you paid, but the rewards to the end would be substantial.

He wouldn't feel a shred of remorse for any of the Uchiha, including Sasuke, when Sharingan crumbled.

Not one bit.

**It's kinda short, I know, but I had to end it there because this is where all that yummy twisty, turny stuff comes in. Really, I made this plot so complicated, I'm not sure if I can actually make it work without having some huge plothole in the middle. Hopefully not.**

**Hope you enjoyed and more to come soon!!!**


	6. T3h Pl0t

**Yay, another update!**

**Chapter 6**

"Oy, Naruto! Do you read me? God dammit, if you don't respond, I'm gonna speak in army jargon for the rest of the game."

Naruto jerked out of his daydream and crashed back into reality. Definitely not a good idea to be daydreaming while playing Halo 3. He and Shikamaru were playing against a pair of computers, and while Shikamaru had already moved to higher ground, Naruto was sitting there like a stupid duck.

"Quack, quack, Naruto. I see a sniper."

Naruto smashed his thumb into the analog stick, leaping out of the way just a rain of bullets came hailing down. He found cover behind a building and made his way towards Shikamaru.

"What the hell were you doing? If you're going to take a bathroom break, you could've told me." Shikamaru's voice sounded all the more sarcastic over the headphones, and Naruto sighed.

"Sorry, sorry," he muttered into the mike.

"Whatever. At least you didn't die. Come on, around this corner, and then we can ambush them."

"Why aren't we sniping them again?"

Naruto could almost see Shikamaru rolling his eyes, "Because of your stupidity we lost the one place where we could properly snipe from. Everywhere else on this map is designed for either mid-range or close quarters."

"Oh. Why aren't we trying to get it back?"

"Where have you been the past thirty minutes? That's what we were trying to do until you just froze up in the middle of the corridor."

Naruto rubbed his forehead; things had been hectic as of late. With Sharingan in a mild panic right now, due to the virus outbreak, Kakashi had been mobilizing his forces for an all-out attack.

Now that the system was weak, the real virus was going to be set into place tonight.

And Naruto was going to be the one to open the way.

Shikamaru and Temari would come in as janitors and would be the ones to actually ready the virus, leaving it in the Sharingan computers in a dormant state.

But Naruto had to get them the password and the card key that would allow them access into the control room.

A simple plan was concocted by Kakashi and Iruka. Simple, but there were so many ways it could go wrong. And if Naruto was found out by Sasuke or any of the higher-ups, it would be a dead-end for this operation.

And Naruto would probably wind up dead.

Shikamaru sighed, "Want me to just kill them? You seem out of it today."

"Just nervous."

"Isn't that why we're playing this? So you can relax a bit?"

"Well, it's not working. Yeah, just finish it."

Within five minutes, both computers had been killed by Shikamaru's expert timing and reflexes, and the two emerged victorious.

Naruto shut off his Xbox 360 and tossed the controller aside. He flopped onto his bed and stared at the digital clock before him.

5:30.

In an hour, he'd have to go meet up with Sasuke as the Sharingan building. From there, he'd have to use every devious bone in his body to get the password and key.

And then if all went well, two days later, at precisely 8:00 P.M., all hell would break lose in Sharingan Corporation's mainframe. The system would crash, and Sharingan would crumble.

And no one would ever know who was behind it.

Hopefully.

**o.O.o.O.o.O.o**

"Naruto! A pleasant surprise, come on in." Sasuke gestured warmly, inviting Naruto into his office.

Naruto complied and seated himself in a cushy lounge chair that matched the two armchairs opposite it.

Sasuke tossed his files onto his desk, which was adorned only with a shiny, sleek computer, and seated himself across Naruto, comfortably lounging in the armchair. Despite the fact that his white suit clashed with the black leather of the chair, he still managed to look impressive, stunning, exuding power only like an Uchiha could.

Even the suit, which would look tacky on most people, only enhanced his overwhelming aura. It made him stand out in a good way, allowing him to radiate a serene confidence most people lacked.

And Naruto intended to strip him of that.

"So what's up?"

"I need to take a look at your mainframe."

Sasuke's eyebrows shot up, "What for?"

"To check your defenses. I've heard from a reliable source that you may get hacked today."

"Trust me, our defenses are impregnable."

"But it's been weakened after that whole Luna disaster, right? Tell me, have you managed to find the source for that bug?"

"How do you know about that?"

"I've got my ways. I wouldn't be much of a hacker if I didn't know of these kinds of things."

Sasuke considered that statement, "Well, you said you just need to take a look at our mainframe, correct?"

"Yep."

"I don't see any harm in that. Come along then. I'll give you the grand tour."

Sasuke took him out of the office, into another elevator ride up and then to another office, similarly furnished like Sasuke's, except with furniture far more exquisite.

Naruto had already noted that only two people had access to this room, the Uchiha brothers. The lock was a complicated one, needing an eye scan and confirmation from special rings imbedded with a certain code.

Naruto slipped in behind the desk and switched on the computer. The main screen opened up almost instantly, revealing a plain black background with the Sharingan logo in the center. Everything run by Sharingan was either directly or indirectly connected to this supercomputer, although it looked nothing like one. It appeared to be an ordinary PC, but it could handle over a thousand gigabytes of memory and possessed a processing speed of roughly 100 gigabytes per second.

Its hard drive was protected by one of the most sophisticated anti-malware softwares developed by Sharingan's personal research team. Hundreds of hackers had attempted to hack into the Sharingan mainframe, and none of them even came close.

Until today.

The first things Naruto checked were the firewall and the anti-malware software. Both were in running order, and the software was up-to-date on pretty much every known computer virus to man.

After running a few system checks, Naruto dug in his pocket for the flash drive. Moment of truth…

Sasuke snatched the flash drive out of Naruto's hands, "What is this?"

Naruto swallowed, trying to hide his nervousness, "Just a safety feature I cooked up. Basically, it'll act as a safety net around your entire network and alert you if any kind of malware is detected in your system. Just to be on the safe side, you know?"

Sasuke inspected the flash drive, as if that could help him see the contents within, and clenched it in his fist, "Let me have my researchers examine it first."

Naruto shrugged, "Sure, okay." He stood up, "Everything's in running order, but still, be on your guard. That whole Luna thing, definitely not a coincidence."

"Yeah, we know. I think we've got it covered though, so don't worry so much."

Naruto nodded and hesitated only for a moment, "Well, I'll show myself out."

Naruto quickly left the office, relaxing only when he reached confines of the elevator. The flash drive was out of his hands, right where he wanted it.

Perfect.

**o.O.o.O.o.O.o**

Sasuke tucked the flash drive into his pocket. Just as he thought, Naruto was playing him for the fool. He was Scarecrow's spy, and he wanted Sasuke to plug that flash drive into a computer, any computer so that they could gain some kind of access to the mainframe. Well, this little was going into a safe and would never come close to contact with a computer.

And now for Naruto and Scarecrow… Well, that was easy. He would grant them partial access to the Sharingan system, but if they tried something…

Well, it certainly wouldn't end pleasantly for them.

Sasuke smiled.

Perfect.

**o.O.o.O.o.O.o**

Naruto walked across the street towards a plain, white van located in the parking structure. He opened the back doors and clambered in as Kiba greeted him cheerfully, "That went well."

"I hope so." Naruto slipped on a headset and adjusted the mike, "Ah, ah, testing. Ramen is a gift from the gods."

"I hear you loud and clear," Temari said, "I'm in position. Do I have the green light?"

"Where's Shikamaru?" Naruto asked.

"He ran into a bit of a problem. Said he'd catch up in five."

Naruto chewed his lip, "Okay, it's a go. The junior offices are on the fourth level."

On the other side of the line, Temari tightened the Bluetooth around her ear, straightened her suit, and headed for the elevators. The crowd frantically rushed to and fro around her, so it was easy to meld in.

She stepped into the cramped elevator, watching the little numbers glow until it stopped out four. She walked out and noticed an empty cubicle, where a janitor happened to be working at. She immediately headed for it, shut the door to the cubicle as the janitor muttered to her, "What took so long?"

"Shut up."

Shikamaru snorted, reached down, pulled off the false bottom of his bucket, and took out a complicated little device that was boxy in shape with little dials and buttons and a small screen.

Meanwhile, Temari and pulled out the computer and was carefully unscrewing the back with a screwdriver that had been hidden in her briefcase. She set aside the plastic casing, pushed aside the mass of wires until she found what she wanted: the central processing unit and the hard drive.

Using two wires to connect his device to the hard drive, Shikamaru scanned through its memory and nodded in satisfaction, "Yeah, Naruto, you were right. This one's good."

In order for their plan to work, they need a computer that would stay off the radar. Basically, one that didn't undergo virus checks every second of the day. This one was a typical grunt computer, and wouldn't be under constant scrutiny.

Temari proceeded to connect a chip to the CPU, meticulously linking the wires with needle-nose pliers and then carefully placing everything back into the computer. She shoved it back into its original position and tossed her tools back into the briefcase.

"Are you sure this virus of yours will work, Gaara?" Temari asked.

From Kakashi's apartment, Gaara sighed, "Yes, I'm positive. Kakashi gave the okay for it, remember?"

"I don't know, Gaara, it just doesn't seem like your work. I mean, the programming and the coding are a little bit different from the way you normally do it."

"I had to tweak with a few things if we're using it against Sharingan. Amateur techniques will not do."

Temari left the cubicle first and jabbed at the down button for the elevator, "Well, then, I'll see you soon." She stepped into the chamber just as Shikamaru exited the cubicle, bucket and broom in hand.

Both were out of Sharingan five minutes later.

Temari boarded the van, taking shotgun, and grinned, "Mission accomplished."

Shikamaru took his place next to Naruto, tossing aside his cap, "Yeah, the hard part is done. Now we just have to make sure it all works."

"It'll work," Naruto reassured him, "With the bug in place, it'll definitely work."

At least, that was what Naruto hoped.

**o.O.o.O.o.O.o**

In another place not too far from Naruto's location, there was a café.

The café itself was not exactly a memorable edifice. It's white paint had been worn away by time and wind, and the sign, proclaiming the name of the building to be 'Didi's Café' flickered weakly, with the second 'd' flickering on and off.

Even the waitresses looked as tired as the building, with their weary eyes and wrinkled faces. They knew that soon enough, the café would close, and then again, they would have to begin a search for another job.

In the corner of this sad, quaint place were two men, both of which were in disguise.

One was tall with long, lanky limbs, dressed in a bulky overcoat, loose jeans, and old sneakers. He wore his cap low, keeping his forehead and the majority of his eyes obscured. His lower half of his face was covered by a flu mask, a handy tool that also muffled his voice.

The other was dressed in a casual business suit, one that someone would find in a thrift store. However, his shoes were leather and brightly polished, already giving away his status and the fact that he was accustomed to wealth. He also donned a pair of cheap sunglasses, but the rest of his face open for anyone to see.

The business man muttered a few words to the skinner man, who merely nodded. Mr. Business reached into his breast pocket and extracted an envelop. Mr. Skinny also drew an envelop, one that was considerably thicker that Mr. Business'.

Mr. Business opened the envelop, thumbed through the green bills, and nodded in satisfaction.

Mr. Skinny snatched the other envelop, stood up, and left the café.

The business man waited until Mr. Skinny was out of sight, dug out a cell phone from his pocket, and dialed a single number.

"What?"

"It's done."

Back in Sharingan headquarters, Sasuke smiled, "Perfect."

**Yep, right now I'm loving this story. I've got so many ideas bouncing around in my head, I don't know what to do with them. So I'm gonna try to write this as fast as I can. Woo!**

**But, seeing as I'm bogged down with projects right now, you'll probably have to wait a while (again) for the next update… Wah!**


	7. T3h B3tr4y4l

**We're almost at the end, here. This is the second to last chapter of the story, Hax0rz, and I'm really surprised I actually made it to this point… Wow… Yeah, just let me savor the moment…**

**I really thought I was never going to finish the fic, haha.**

**Anyway, without further ado, I present…**

**Chapter 7**

"_What?"_

"_It's done."_

_Back in Sharingan headquarters, Sasuke smiled, "Perfect."_

**o.O.o.O.o.O.o**

**Three Months Earlier…**

"I need your help."

"…You know I'm not in that kinda stuff anymore."

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean I don't need your help."

"I. Don't. Hack. What part of that don't you understand?"

"It's not that I don't understand. Your words make complete sense. I just know that it's all bullshit."

"What do you know?"

"I'm your brother. I know a lot. Especially about you."

"I can't do it. You're my brother, but even for you, I can't."

"But they deserve to be brought down. They have to be brought down."

"None of it matters to me. I don't care if Sharingan is hell bent on taking the world. As long as they don't bug me, I won't mess with them."

"Well then, will this convince you?"

…

"You really know how to press a guy's buttons."

"It's just one of my many abilities. You in?"

"…Yeah. I'm in."

**o.O.o.O.o.O.o**

**Present Day**

"You sure this'll work?"

"I'm kinda positive."

"Seems risky."

"It is, but I'm doing all the dangerous stuff, so no worries. You sit back and enjoy the show."

"I don't think there'll be a lot of relaxing on my part. There are just too many variables."

"And I think you're thinking too much."

"Someone's gotta do the thinking."

"This was your brilliant idea, wasn't it? Have more faith in your partners."

"Yes, I did initiate the whole thing, but you're the one who came up with this crazy plan."

"It's crazy, but it'll work."

"For your sake, I hope so."

"Come on, think of who you're talking to."

"Skill isn't everything."

"Really? I hadn't noticed."

"You're impossible. But since I can't convince you otherwise, I'll just have to make sure it all goes smoothly."

"Yeah. Well, I better get going."

"Yeah. Good luck."

"Ha, thanks. But who needs luck when you've got skill?"

**o.O.o.O.o.O.o**

Naruto cackled as his Zerg armies swarmed over the Protoss base, easily overrunning the measly Zealots guarding the buildings.

On the bottom of the screen, a message popped up.

DontKillDeer: Fuck you.

Naruto grinned and quickly typed back.

RamenWillEatYou: Oh, come on. Take it like a man.

DontKillDeer: I am taking it like a man.

RamenWillEatYou: Besides, you already beat me twice.

DontKillDeer: And this is your fourth time beating me.

RamenWillEatYou: Dude, this is like, the one game I can beat you at. One, out of like a million.

DontKillDeer: I suppose that's true. You already made the phone call, yeah? With that slimeball Sasuke?

RamenWillEatYou: Yup. He should be on his way to the airport now.

DontKillDeer: And don't you need to get going?

Naruto glanced at the clock and cursed.

RamenWillEatYou: Shit, you're right. I'll see you later.

DontKillDeer: What would you do without me?

Naruto didn't bother to reply and shut Starcraft down as he struggled out of his chair. After nearly tripping over a pile of wires and clothes, he made his way to his bedroom and dug around his closet, trying to find something more acceptable than sweats to wear to dinner.

Earlier, Sasuke had unexpectedly called him and asked him if he was free for the night. He had replied "yes" without really thinking, seeing as he was half-asleep and in the middle of eating breakfast while Sasuke informed him of the place and time.

The Golden Fish at six thirty sharp.

Naruto had consulted with Kakashi about the matter, and the older man had determined that it wouldn't make too much of a difference. The virus would set off, and Sharingan would still crumble.

The dinner might actually prove beneficial to the whole plan because Sasuke would be distracted while the virus did its dirty work.

But it could also implicate Naruto as the hacker behind it all.

After another minute or so of digging, he managed to locate a pair of semi-formal slacks, slightly wrinkled, but much better than the sweats he had on currently. A plain blue dress shirt had been tossed on the bed, and after making sure it smelled adequate, Naruto tossed it on, grabbed his backpack, and dashed out of the apartment.

Naruto glanced at his watch as he burst outside, headed for the bus stop.

6:25.

He looked up and swore when he saw the bus pulling away from the curb. The one time the bus was actually punctual…

After deliberating for a few moments, he decided the best plan of action would be to walk and hope he didn't end up being too late.

He sighed and started walking down the sidewalk, admiring the twinkling stars that dotted the blue-black night sky.

The whole scene was picturesque, perfect even, except one little thing…

There were no people.

Naruto frowned and glanced around; he was the only bit of life on this stretch of the street. There wasn't a car, another pedestrian… Where was everybody?

And then a black car turned into view, fast enough so that it actually hovered on one side of the wheels for a moment. It screeched to a stop in front of Naruto, and before he knew it, three burly men were out and surrounding him.

Before he could comprehend the nature of the situation, Naruto was roughly pushed into the car, and then he started screaming for help. The door was rudely slammed into his face, and from the other side, one of the men pinned him down and pressed a cloth over his mouth and nose.

The last thing Naruto remembered was the pungent stench of chloroform…

**o.O.o.O.o.O.o**

Sasuke impatiently glanced at his watch again.

6:15.

Where was Naruto? He was always early for the meetings, usually by ten minutes… Of course, Sasuke was a bit earlier than usual, mainly because he just had the time for it.

Sasuke drummed his fingers against the table, waving away the waitress as she attempted to start up small talk again. He wasn't in the mood to flirt, and his patience was starting to wear thin. He hated it when people made him wait; he liked and was used to instant gratification, and because of his wealth and power, he generally got it.

After waiting for another five minutes, Sasuke pulled out his cell and dialed Naruto's number, which went straight to voicemail.

Sasuke tried again, only to meet with failure. He sighed and sent a text, wondering if Naruto was asleep or something…

He ordered some jasmine tea, hoping it would help calm him, until his phone started ringing. He pounced on it, "Yes?"

"Sasuke. It's Naruto."

"Where have you been? You're late, you know…"

"I don't have time. Listen to me, you need to get out of here. Just drop everything, get to the nearest airport, and get out of Japan."

"What are you talking about?"

"Just do it. Trust me on this. Lose the phone, and lay low for a couple days, just a week, okay? By then, I'll have Scarecrow's identity delivered to you on a silver platter."

Sasuke considered Naruto's words, debating if it seemed like the truth or a complete lie, "Alright, Naruto. I'll be leaving shortly." There wasn't much harm in leaving Japan; he could still keep an eye on Sharingan from the many properties he owned around the world, and everyone would just think of it as him taking a short vacation.

"Great."

Sasuke walked out of the restaurant, paying for his unconsumed drink, and headed for the sleek, navy blue Subaru. The car chirped as he unlocked the door, and he slipped in, smiling at the purr of the engine.

He'd trust Naruto for now.

But if he didn't keep his word, it would be his head brought in on a silver platter…

**o.O.o.O.o.O.o**

**Earlier that day…**

Itachi exhaled heavily as he eased into his seat; it had been a long day, dealing with investors, stockholders, and employees. It certainly wasn't easy running a business, especially one as vast as Sharingan, and sometimes he wondered if all the perks were even worth it.

'You've got mail.'

Itachi scowled at the sound of the artificial voice; for some reason, it irritated him to no end. He opened the e-mail, startled when he read the sender's name.

Sabaku.

Sabaku was a rather infamous inventor of viruses, most of them exotic and potent, and generally, subtle.

But Itachi noted that there was no sort of attachment that set off the alarm; whatever this email held, it was devoid of any kind of virus.

He quickly read the message.

From: Sabaku

To: Itachi Uchiha

I know you're a busy man, so I'll keep this short.

I believe you are aware of certain activities your brother has been engaging in, consorting with hackers in order to capture other hackers.

But you don't know the consequences of allowing him free reign in his little project.

He's selling to the hackers information about your entire system, all so that we can bring you down.

The virus has already been planted within your system, and they will strike tonight, at 8:00 P.M.

You won't be able to stop the virus, but you can ensure your company's survival. As long as you have a back-up copy of your archives, Sharingan will survive.

I know you don't believe what I have to say, but I will give you substantial proof.

Talk to Naruto Uzumaki.

He'll give you all the proof you need.

Itachi re-read the e-mail one more time and shook his head, unable to believe what the contents were insinuating. No, not his brother. His brother would never betray him like that…

Itachi attempted to track the e-mail, but he found nothing. He wasn't surprised; most hackers were smarter than that.

Fine then.

He'd find this Naruto Uzumaki.

And he'd get the answers.

One way or another.

**o.O.o.O.o.O.o**

"Is that tracking device working?" Kakashi demanded.

Temari, along with the other members of the hacker team who were jumbled together in the cramped space of the apartment, nodded, "Coming in loud and clear."

"The status of the virus?"

"Still dormant and untouched," Gaara reported.

Kakashi sighed, "Okay. What about the second virus?"

"It's in place," Kiba said, "I made sure of that."

Kankuro grinned, "Looks like everything's going swell."

Shikamaru stood and crossed his arms, "Are you sure it was a smart idea to have Naruto take care of the rest? Have the whole operation resting on him?"

"I'm pretty sure Naruto will be able to play his part beautifully," Kakashi responded.

Shikamaru didn't look completely convinced, "What makes you think Uchiha will trust him enough for this plan to work?"

A faint smile appeared on Kakashi's lips, "Because he's got skill."

**o.O.o.O.o.O.o**

Deidara glanced at Sasori, "You sure that's him?"

"Positive. Checked his I.D. and everything. This is the right kid."

"Then call the boss and tell him we're on our way."

"Why do I always have to do the work?" Sasori grumbled as he punched numbers into his cell, "Yeah, boss? We've got him."

Sasori turned towards the backseat, satisfied that the blonde was still out cold, "Yup."

"One Naruto Uzumaki coming right up."

**Alright! Getting pretty good, huh? Or at least, that's what I would like to think.**

**I'm sure this chapter raises many questions, all of which will be answered in the next chapter, provided that I actually thought this through correctly and that I have it planned out accurately.**

**Bear with me for one more chapter, and then, it'll all be over!**


	8. T3h Ph1n4l3

**The conclusion to this epic saga… Okay, well, not really epic, but whatever.**

**This is the final chapter, amazingly enough, I managed to finished this fanfiction. But I really suck with endings, so yeah, the ending sucks. I apologize for that; if I ever think of something better, or if someone gives me a better suggestion, I'll try rewriting it.**

**So, I hope you enjoy!**

**Chapter 8**

Naruto blinked as light painfully attacked his eyes, groaning as his vision slowly clarified. He was in a dim, small room, tied down to a chair.

A blonde male appeared in his view, "Looks like he's awake, unn."

A red-headed male also appeared, "I can see that, Deidara. No need to state the obvious."

Deidara rolled his eyes, "Whatever, Sasori. Just get the boss, will ya?"

"You go get him."

"YOU get him."

"Make me."

"Enough, you two. Get out."

Naruto easily recognized the voice, one he heard almost everyday, either on television or on the radio.

The two subordinates scrambled out as their boss came into Naruto's view.

Itachi Uchiha.

"You have information. About my brother, and the things he's doing."

"What makes you think I'm going to give it?"

Itachi chuckled, "Enough of the bravado. You don't strike me as the type who enjoys torture."

Naruto gulped, "Torture?"

"Surely you know of my reputation? I despise hackers, and I would jump at the chance to eradicate them all. But from you, I need very important information. And you're going to give it to me."

Naruto nodded rapidly, "Yes, I am. I won't get tortured, right?"

"If you tell me everything, you'll never hear from me again."

"Okay… Okay. I work with Sasuke; I pay him and he gives me the information about Sharingan, which I sell to a bunch of hackers who really hate your guts."

"You have proof of this?"

"I was going to meet him when your guys attacked me. You can check my bag for the money."

Itachi dragged over a chair and sat down, "So that's what it was for. But that still doesn't prove anything."

"Alright then. How about this? Find a guy named Sai; his phone number's in my cell. Talk to him about a business transaction he made yesterday."

Itachi took out Naruto cellphone, located the number, and dialed.

"_Hello?"_

"Mr. Sai, I'm curious about a certain business deal you made yesterday."

"_I'm sorry, but I like to keep that information confidential."_

"Well, Mr. Sai, I am Itachi Uchiha, and I'm sure you understand that I am more than capable of compensating you for your services."

"…_Alright. I was selling blueprints of a special virus, custom-made by a friend of mine."_

"Who was buying?"

"_I don't know names. I just know he's a tall guy, kinda skinny with white hair. He just told me to call him Hozuki."_

Itachi tensed, "Thank you for your time. I'll send you the money shortly." He snapped the phone shut, his eyes boring into Naruto's, "Hozuki. Suigetsu Hozuki is one of Sasuke's bodyguards."

"The plot thickens."

"But this isn't enough. It'll take more than that to convince me."

"Alright then. Check Sasuke's private safe, and you'll find all the evidence you need."

**o.O.o.O.o.O.o**

"_I found a flash drive and blueprints boss. I didn't get a close look at the virus, but after a quick study it matches the one on the blueprints. Insane little thing, it deletes every bit of information in a system. Once it's in, you can't get it out."_

Itachi tightened his grasp on the phone, "I can't believe it."

Naruto nodded understandingly, "Yeah, betrayal is tough."

Itachi starting punching numbers into his phone, "I'm going to kill the little snake."

"You won't find him."

Itachi paused, "What?"

Naruto shrugged, "I expected this. I told him to run, while he had the chance. He could be anywhere now."

Itachi stood, eyes glowering menacingly, "Then I've no use for you, and I should dispose of you now."

"Wait! I do know where he is. First you have to release me."

Itachi narrowed his eyes, "Why should I trust you?"

"I gave you all of this information, man. The least you can do is untie me. Even if I run, I won't make it out of here."

Itachi flicked open a switchblade, "Alright. I'm a reasonable man." He sliced through Naruto's bonds, "Now, where is he?"

"You swear you won't kill me after I tell you? I can't exactly trust you, you know."

"If you don't tell me now, I'm going to gut you like a fish, right here."

"But if you kill me later, anyways, it won't matter to me because I'll die in either situation."

Itachi chuckled, "You're too smart for your own good. Fine, how do you want to do this?"

"Take me outside. Bring your guards along, but I'm gonna have my friends watch from across the street. Once I tell you the location, I'll leave with them, and you'll never see my face again."

Itachi considered, "Very well. But if you try to run, expect a bullet in that smart brain of yours."

Naruto swallowed and nodded, "I won't run."

"You'd better not. Come on now. I don't have time to waste."

Naruto followed Itachi out into a hallway, which led to stairs leading up to the main floor of a depilated warehouse. Itachi gestured for his two bodyguards to follow, which they did, and then they exited.

Itachi handed the phone to Naruto, who immediately speed-dialed Shikamaru, "Hey, it's a go."

Itachi raised an eyebrow, "You expected this to happen?"

"If all went well."

"So they knew you were here."

"Yeah. I had a tracking signal in my cellphone."

"Clever."

"Hackers generally are."

A gray van rolled into view a few minutes later, and Naruto gestured towards it, "Okay, that's them. Sasuke's at the airport, headed for that villa in Paris."

"He's always liked France," Itachi muttered and inclined his head towards Naruto, "Alright, you're free to go. But mess with my corporation again, and you won't be so lucky."

Naruto nodded, "I know." He quickly made his way to the van and jumped in, grinning when he saw the eager faces of Gaara, Shikamaru, Temari, and Kiba, "It went perfectly."

Kiba pumped his fist into the air, "Ha, I knew it would work."

Naruto settled comfortably into a seat, "So where's Iruka and Kakashi?"

"They're at base," Temari explained, "Kankuro's sending that e-mail, and the two are just making sure it goes okay."

Naruto grinned; boy, was Sasuke going to love this.

**o.O.o.O.o.O.o**

Sasuke tried to sit still, glancing occasionally around the waiting room of the bustling airport. The next flight, one to Paris, France, was in fifteen minutes, but he was still feeling edgy. He didn't like the idea of trusting a hacker, especially one as suspicious as Naruto, but it wasn't like anything disastrous could come out a quick trip to the French villa.

Still no word from Naruto…

His phone starting ringing, and Sasuke flipped it open, grinning when he saw it was a message from Naruto. Perhaps now he'd know who Scarecrow really was.

He downloaded the attachment, puzzled when he saw that it was a video file. He played it, and Naruto's face popped up on screen.

"_Hello, Sasuke. You know me as Naruto, but I'm better known as Kyuubi."_

Sasuke gaped at the name, wondering if he misheard it. Kyuubi was, without a doubt, the greatest hacker in all of history. He never left a trace of his work, no matter how difficult the hack. Despite all of his success, he, one day, just vanished. But even still, he was a legend in the hacker world.

"_I retired from hacking, not long ago, but a few months ago I was approached by my brother. He informed me of your recent activities and convinced me to return to hacking, so I could stop you and your company._

_You see, you murdered the parents of a very close friend of mine. And that is reason enough for me to bring you down._

_So I joined with Scarecrow and worked as a double agent, pretending to give you information about the hackers you wanted, all the while reporting to Scarecrow of your habits. Once he knew enough, he came up with a scheme, one that would implicate you as the evil mastermind._

_A virus has been planted within Sharingan's mainframe, a very special virus that can be neither destroyed nor stopped. It will delete all of Sharingan's research, its records, everything._

_And now, Itachi has found a copy of the virus and its blueprints within your safe."_

Sasuke blanched; so that was the virus? He had thought… It couldn't be; he'd been outsmarted. He only had the blueprints for the virus so his scientists would be able to find a way to counteract it, but now…

Now he looked like the bad guy.

"_He believes you betrayed him, and he will blame you when Sharingan is no more. See, because even though he'd made a back-up of all of Sharingan's documentations, the virus will track everything down, no matter how secure of a place he puts it in, and destroy that as well. Fun, don't you think?"_

Sasuke clenched his fists, "You bastard."

And then his cellphone rang.

With a feeling of dread, Sasuke picked it up, already knowing who it was, "Nii-sama?"

"Yeah. Where are you?"

"I'm, uh…"

"Why, Sasuke?"

"It wasn't me," Sasuke said quickly, "I was framed, I was-"

"No one, other than you and me, has access to your safe. And yet I found the virus in there, along with blueprints. Care to explain?"

"I was trying to help you, nii-sama. I wanted to get rid of the virus."

"Enough of your bullshit."

"Master Sasuke."

Sasuke nervously swallowed, still unable to get rid of the glob of mucus clogging his throat, and stared up at Kisame, Itachi's right hand man, "Hello."

Kisame grabbed his elbow, "Master Itachi wants you home. I suggest you don't make a scene; it would just embarrass you."

Sasuke kept his head hung down, knowing it was fruitless to try to escape. He knew full well the power of Sharingan, and he had no chance.

"Damn you, Naruto."

**o.O.o.O.o.O.o**

"_It's astonishing how this international company, one that dabbled in a variety markets, went from top to rock bottom within a few short days. Sharingan, it seems, had a system malfunction, in which the entire system was completely deleted. Although head of the corporation, Itachi Uchiha, has kept everything confidential, there have been rumors about his brother, Sasuke Uchiha, and an attempt at a coup. Not only that-"_

Naruto turned off the television, and Shikamaru complained, "Hey, I was watching that."

Naruto shook his head, "You've watched it five times already. Its on tape, you can gloat about Sharingan's demise whenever you want."

"Fine, whatever."

"Now… Naruto switched on the Playstation, "Time for some Final Fantasy."

Shikamaru sighed, "I'm gonna miss it."

"Miss what?" Naruto asked absently.

"The thrill of it all. It was pretty fun working with other hackers, even if it was all supposed to be serious. And it felt pretty damn good to bring down a corrupt company like Sharingan."

"Oh. You mean you don't know?"

"Don't know what?"

Naruto grinned, "Wow. For once, you don't know something that I do."

"Enough of the games. What are you talking about?"

"Well, its just something that'll make you feel better."

"What? Spit it out."

"You really should check your e-mails more often."

Shikamaru rolled his eyes, "I check it almost every day. Today's just one of the few days I forgot."

"Well then, go check mine."

Shikamaru slid away from his slouched position on the sofa, "Alright." He opened up Explorer on the nearest computer and signed into Naruto's e-mail account.

He clicked on the first on and read.

To: RamenFreak

From: Scarecrow

It really was quite enjoyable working with you, and although I'm sure you'd prefer retirement, I have a proposition for you.

From the ashes of Sharingan, a new corporation has formed, Akatsuki. It thrives on the black market, which makes things tricky, if we want to collapse it, like we did with Sharingan.

Which is why I'd like your expertise; you and LeetDeer did a fantastic job in the last mission. I hope to see more of you two again soon.

~ Scarecrow

Oh, one more thing.

Go get laid.

**Yes, its lame, I know…**

**But I managed to finish it, and that, in itself, is quite an accomplishment. (For me, at any rate.)**

**I do hope you enjoyed the twists, and I do hope I actually managed to write it out alright.**

**Thanks for reading and sticking until the end!!!**


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